Autumn 2024 update - episode, sketches, Italian schools and politics

Naples once again falls to the French of king Luis XII, but once again they can't hold on to it for long as the delicate agreement with the Spanish of Queen Isabella and king Ferdinand quickly melts away and the legendary general Gonzalo De Cordoba manages to win the kingdom of Naples for his sovereigns with great victories at Cerignola and on the Garigliano river among others.We also see a little involvement of our old pal Cesare Borgia and hear about a tragic love triangle he was involved in with a woman called Ginevra da Monreale and a man who will resound through Italian history and literature called Hector Proudfly, Ettore Fieramosca.

22 Okt 202421min

We follow Cesare Borgia as he continues his conquest ousting Giovanni Sforza from Pesaro, Pandolfo Malatesta from Rimini and Astorre Manfredi from Faenza. We are also introduced to one of his most important generals, Vitelozzo Vitelli and his vengeful hatred for the Republic of Florence who executed his brother.Finally, France and Spain reach a secret pact for the division of the kingdom of Naples.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Province_1454.jpg

8 Okt 202416min

With the French hold on Milan looking weak, Ludovico il Moro sees his chance to take his duchy back, but only manages for a while before he is defeated at the Battle of Novara, made prisoner and taken to France where he will spend the rest of his days in captivity.

24 Sep 202417min

As we set the scene for the start of Cesare Borgia's military campaign, we start to observe the ominous signs of what is to come in Rome with the arbitrary accusation and confiscations of the Roman nobility. Then we go exploring to see what we intend with the term "Romagna" and trace it back to Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, the Byzantines and Julius Cesar's famous "The die is cast" speech, pronounced in Rimini after crossing the Rubicon river which we will also do to visit with the Malatesta of Rimini before Cesare comes to face of with Caterina Sforza to start his conquest. See link to Romagna explanation:https://emilia-o-romagna.netlify.app

10 Sep 202419min

King Louis XII prepares to descend upon Milan to stake his claim to the duchy. Before he sees out he needs to make deals with England, The Swiss and the Italian powers, Savoy and Ve3nice.Meanwhile, duke Ludovico il Moro is also preparing and doing a really bad job of it. The results will show.

27 Aug 202416min

We follow the last stand of Caterina Sforza as the French once again descend upon Italy with king Louis XII and Cesare Borgia, made representative of Romagna by his father Pope Alexander VI, closes in on the lands of Caterina as she prepares for her last great battle.

13 Aug 202421min

After the assassination of her husband Girolamo Riario, Caterina is in full control as regent for her son, Ottaviano Riario.She has to navigate regional issues in Romagna, another assassination in Faenza and then the tricky balancing act during the descent of Charles VIII of France.During all of this she managed to start a new passionate relationship with Giacomo Feo, which will also end in murder and in her thirst for vengeance, Caterina will lose sight of her role as a head of state.

30 Juli 202415min

After settling in to their new signoria, Caterina Sforza and her husband Girolamo Riario have to deal with continuous plots, the War of Ferrara and the death of uncle pope Sixtus IV. After that Caterina will really show what she's made of by taking and holding Castel Sant Angelo, her sword at her side, while seven months pregnant.In the end after her husband's assassination, she will stand alone to face the conspirators in one of Italian Renaissance history's most famous legendary scenes.

16 Juli 202419min